From the INDYSTAR: Owners of Indiana’s fenced hunting preserves would be forbidden from selling a deer for a hunt within 24 hours of it being sedated, and only animals born and raised on Indiana deer farms could be hunted.
So read two new additions to a bill that would set regulations for captive-deer hunting in Indiana. The bill passed the Indiana Senate’s Natural Resources Committee on a 6-3 vote Monday.
I have 3 questions:
Who are the 3 committee members that voted against this?
Who in his right mind would sedate a deer to be sold and hunted? Does greed have no bounds?
And the biggest one: Who in the hell would pay money to “hunt” a drugged buck? Who could hang a buck so shot on his wall and call himself a “hunter?” Is there no shame?
This all stems from a sorry story from a decade ago.
In 2005, an investigation showed that an Indiana game preserve owner had been selling “hunts” to wealthy clients (supposedly some celebrities were involved, and amounts of 20K were thrown around) in enclosures so small that conservation officers called them “killing pens.” He was also accused of using illegal drugs on his deer. At trial, jurors were shown video of a “hunter” shooting a buck that appeared to be drugged.
The guy got some jail time. I refuse to use his name and/or link to any of the horrible videos from this place that might still be on the Interweb.
Ten years later, I find it shameful that any state would have to introduce a bill “forbidding selling a deer for a hunt within 24 hours of it being sedated.”
With our rich heritage of legitimate deer hunting in America, how did we ever get to this point?
I have spent a lifetime promoting clean and ethical hunting, and stories like this disturb me greatly. I just don’t get it.
BTW, the INDYSTAR published an extensive investigative report on deer farms and trophy breeding, you ought to read it.
Dr. Bones 10,000 acres isn’t required for it to be truly hunting. I’ve hunted on a high fence that was 3,000 acres once before and it was a tough hunt. That’s a lot of land and most people don’t realize that in 3,000 acres there are a lot of places for deer to hide, and big bucks that aren’t drugged are still tough to hunt there. Now granted a 300 acre enclosure is ridiculous because the deer don’t have any real way to avoid hunters. Drugging deer is possibly the saddest thing I can imagine for an “outfitter” to do! What the hell is wrong with these people that they would imagine their clients would be happy hunting dopey deer? I imagine most of their hunters have no idea that the deer are drugged, or else they wouldn’t waste their money. As many above stated this gives the hunting community a horrible reputation to even be considered in the same breath as this scumbag is a tragedy. I’m all about hunting my wild deer that have no confinement and are so alert that the slightest molecule of human scent will set their defense mechanisms off. I pray for our country and the direction that it’s headed. God bless true hunters!
A couple of points here since I am from Indiana. Number 1) Don’t consider shooting deer or any animal in a confined space “hunting”. Let’s call it what it is…shooting. My only reason that I can think of is that the person won’t take or doesn’t have the time to hunt for a nice animal, or is too lazy and doesn’t have the confidence or willpower it takes to get a nice one. I am against closed fence hunting in Indiana. I would guess in places like Texas where you have 10’s of thousands of acres it is a different story, but here….NOT! Number 2) I would guess the deer are drugged so that they can be transported without injury to the animal, though I would imagine it is so they won’t break up that monstrous rack. Any way you slice it, the animal has been used to humans providing everything it needs to survive so how are they supposed to know how or why they should escape from them. The whole situation saddens me in that people group those “killers” into the same group we all belong too….hunters. Deer are a very special animal to hunt, and a real test for an outdoors person. This cheapens it to a point to me where looking at that animal on the wall would make me sick! Nuff said!
Agree with Hanback wholeheartedly. Never understood why anyone would ever even consider “hunting” inside of any small acreage enclosure; let alone have a drugged up deer so to ensure a “guaranteed” kill. Who could ever feel good about that type of situation? That’s not hunting in the least. (Disclaimer: there are situations where I don’t feel hunting inside of a large acreage, fenced-in operation is a bad deal (I.E. Crane Naval base, or Camp Atterbury hunts in Indiana; Camp Ripley in Minnesota, etc, etc.)
If you’re going to shell out 20K for a guaranteed “hunt, why not pay about $5,000 on a Western Canadian fair chase hunt and kill a giant; and then be able to go do that again for the next few seasons? It’s a real, fair chase hunting situation, where you’re hunting wild whitetails, and have a legit shot at a real monster. (x4)
What do you consider a “small acreage enclosure”?
With our rich heritage of legitimate deer hunting in America, how did we ever get to this point?
This question can be answered by the following verse of Scripture: “the heart is deceitful above all, and desperately wicked…” -Jeremiah 17:9
Human wickedness knows no bounds. Change a man’s heart and you will change his attitudes and actions. No legislation could ever be passed that would accomplish this…
Mike, In fairness to the three that voted against it, they probably objected to the other part of the bill and not the “killing” of drugged deer.
I think that is right, but voting against language like that about the drugs for deer is still problematic for me; should have fought to have the wording and focus of the bill changed–MH
Hanback quote “With our rich heritage of legitimate deer hunting in America, how did we ever get to this point?”
Seriously? If you watch just about hunting show, read just about any outdoor magazine or browse any forum and you will see that people are totally eaten up with trophy deer. 20 years ago, who would have ever thought we’d have so many people running cameras 24/7/365. Who would have thought we would spend $1,000 on a bow?
These pens are just the next step in this obsession for many. They can afford it, they want it, so the politicians make allow it happen.
And if this passes in Indiana….if you have 160 acres and a 10 foot fence around it, you can sell “hunts”……..Sad thing is, they probably will be booked solid.
I wish we had an edit function. Sorry for the mistakes.
Quote “If you watch just about hunting show”
I meant…If you watch just about any hunting show.
Jim I’m glad you corrected your comment! We can now forgive your grammatical error…hahaha we all got what ya meant bud
I believe the “high fence hunting” bill is to be voted on in Indiana today.
The vote is to schedule to be held @ 1:30 today. It is widely expected to pass as Republicans control the Indiana Senate 40-10.
Mike . I totally agree . Absolutely sickening . I don’t get it either .These people are portrayed as “hunters” is the really sad part of it . No respect for the animals whatsoever .